20170929

First-responder firefighters from Mexico City ("Bomberos") visited L.A. for cross-training with the L.A. Fire Department. Their trip coincided with the L.A. September 11th Memorial Ceremony. Roger Rubio, president of our regional Bombero Association, explains that the Bomberos and L.A.F.D. have a lot of info to share regarding earthquake rescue and recovery.

Reflecting on the commitment which NY firefighters demonstrated in entering the flaming Twin Towers in New York on September 11th, 2001, the Bomberos affirmed their shared commitment to enter potentially collapsing buildings in order to save civilians. Little did they know that just 8-days later, the Puebla earthquake would test their mettle.

More than 300 people were killed when the quake struck on September 19 -- just two hours after an annual earthquake drill -- turning Mexico City's most seismically unstable neighborhoods into something out of a post-apocalyptic movie.

Rescuers from Mexican Bomberos in the September retrieve victims of the Puebla earthquake (photo: NY Times)

Rescue and recovery efforts of that quake will require rescheduling their planned mid-October trip back to L.A. with 100 other bomberos. But when they return, they will have far more current experience with which to teach the Los Angeleno firefighters regarding earthquake disaster relief.